"Andy, we are not dating!" Sharon enunciated each word in a sharp staccato.
What should have been a pleasant evening at the ballet had turned into one filled with stress, and Sharon blamed it on the man in front of her. No matter how many times she said it, he wasn't comprehending her assertions that she never saw their outings as dates. She could tell by his lopsided grin and the way he off-handedly agreed with everything she said that he wasn't listening to her. He was simply giving her lip service. After being married to a passive-aggressive person who did everything for his own benefit, she learned what it felt like to be manipulated by another person. When she divorced Jack, she thought this part of her life was behind her. But now, looking at Andy's expression, she realized that he was just another version of Jack. Luckily, he was a more benign version of Jack. For while Jack was deliberately manipulative, she honestly believed that much of Andy's problem lay in the fact that he wanted them to be in a relationship so badly that he was oblivious to what she kept saying. That and he had a rather skewed idea of which antics of his were genuinely charming and which came off as being obtuse.
With a groan of frustration the brunette shook her head as she pulled further away from Andy. "I have neither the time nor patience to put up with this!" she hissed.
"Sharon, what's the big deal? We're both adults; there's nothing wrong with us going out occasionally," Andy smiled as his tone grew accommodating.
"Andy, you clearly are not getting my point. We are not dating, we never were, and we never will," she reiterated again.
"But.…"
"No buts, Andy. Yes, we've gone to dinners and movies, but did you ever pay for it?" Sharon's arms folded in front of her defensively.
"Well.…" he looked down, his brows drawn together in thought.
"No, Andy, never! It was always 'Dutch treat;' I paid my own share," she explained flatly.
"I bought the popcorn at the movies."
"Oh, my God! And I bought the nachos," Sharon added.
"Yeah, well, I thought you paid half because you're a modern woman, and I wanted to respect your decision. You know, respect your feminist ways," he explained. "But we still did go out."
"Feminist ways?" Sharon asked increduously. "If we were dating and being 'feminist,' we would be trading off on paying for the whole dinner. Not going Dutch treat."
"And yes, Andy, we did go to dinner and the movies, which I paid for my own ticket. The charity benefit, those were free tickets from Brenda!"
"But we kissed!"
"When?"
"In the court room. C'mon, Sharon. You remember." Andy smiled as if he had won an argument with irrefutable evidence.
"My God, Andy! I kissed the judge and Amy, too! Now when exactly are you going to tell Nicole that Amy and Provenza went with us to the Dodgers' game?" She grew silent as she gave him a stone cold gaze.
"Well, I," he stammered. "I'm going to, I'll tell her right away. But Sharon, please.…" Andy implored.
"For your information, Andy, you are not the only name in my dance card," Sharon spoke quickly, then regretted this implication. "Forget that! That's not what I mean. What I mean is, I go out with friends. I've had dinner with Tao and his family, had spa days with Brenda Leigh, and even lunch with Buzz. Does that mean I'm dating all of them?" she asked, but quickly added, "And hasn't it dawned on you that I talk about Andrea a lot?"
"Well, yeah, but," Andy shrugged. "It's good that you have a good friend. I mean, Provenza's been there for me as a friend for many years and it's great that you have someone who isn't in the same career. I've been telling you to ask Andrea to join us sometime!" His smile was starting to annoy her beyond bearing.
In disbelief she looked at him, her mouth slack jaw as her mind was going over what he just said. With a shake of her head she turned away and began to walk briskly back to the lobby of her condo building.
"Sharon!" he called out as he tried to keep up with her.
With a sharp turn she held her hand out to him, stopping him in his tracks. "You need to go before I do or say something that we both regret. Just go, Andy! And tell your daughter the truth!" she called as she disappeared into the lobby.
Sharon didn't even bother going to the elevator, instead she made her way to the parking structure and to her car. As she fished through her purse she found her phone and keys. While she walked to her car she dialed Rusty on her phone.
"Sharon, is everything alright?" she heard the concern in her son's voice.
"Yes, Rusty, I'm just going out for a bit. Don't wait up," she asked as she clicked the alarm on her car, then entered the driver's side.
"Going to Andrea?" he asked.
"Yes, Rusty, she got back this afternoon," she explained as she started her car.
"Sharon?" his voice was hesitant. "Are you mad at me?"
"Oh honey, of course not. I just need some clarity. We'll talk about what happened tonight later, ok?" Sharon wasn't able to be angry at Rusty. Despite his remarks, she knew that he never did anything maliciously. He had to have a reason for it, but right now she wasn't up to talking about it. It was all just too much to process.
"Ok, Sharon. Tell Andrea hi for me," his voice was solemn.
"I will, honey," a smile crossed her lips.
"And Sharon?"
"Yes?"
"I love you," this phrase was becoming easier for Rusty to say.
"I love you too, Rusty. Sleep well, honey," she smiled before hanging up the phone.
This night had turned out so differently than she had hoped. What should have been a fun night of sharing her love of ballet with her son turned into one filled with tension all because Andy wouldn't tell his daughter the truth. Even worse, Andy kept glancing at Sharon or kept tentatively trying to hold her hand. Each time his hand brushed hers, Sharon either looked at something in the program, or leaned over to quietly point something out to Rusty. As a result, a two-year-old would probably wind up fidgeting less than she was, and she couldn't enjoy the performance.
During intermission she sincerely wished that she was unmannered enough to have Rusty switch seats with her. However, she refused to make herself the side act to the evening of the people sitting behind her. Thankfully, the saving grace of the night came when Rusty fell asleep during the performance, using her shoulder as a pillow. With the shift in weight, she leaned away from Andy, placing herself as far away from him as she could in the theatre seats. Looking at Rusty, a soft smile curved her lips. Bringing her hand up, she brushed stray hair out of his eyes before placing said hand over her heart in an attempt to contain the swell of emotion she felt there. Since it also effectively kept her hand away from Andy's, she left it there for the rest of the performance. Leaning her cheek lightly against the top of Rusty's head, she finally began to enjoy the artistry on stage.
With a shake of her head, Sharon pushed this memory aside as she drove the short distance to Andrea's home. The two-bedroom bungalow located in a quiet, older neighborhood had simple Spanish architecture. It was dark except for a few lights along the cobblestone pathway. Andrea's car sat nestled in the parking space next to the house. As Sharon pulled up and turned off her car, she sat for a moment with her eyes closed. She did her best to calm her frayed nerves and push all of her frustration away. No matter how hard she tried, her mind kept going back to how this situation started a few days before.
Upset, angry, furious, livid, enraged, all of these described what Sharon was feeling, yet lacked the true depth of what boiled deep within her. The moment Nicole, Andy's daughter, broached the topic of romantic relationships in the office, Sharon was dumbfounded. Until that point Sharon had no idea that Andy let his daughter believe that he and Sharon were dating, let alone going out as often as Nicole implied. Romance? Of course Sharon was involved in a romance. She did discover a new love that made her feel like a giddy school girl. But with Andy? Sharon found the whole idea inconceivable.
Thankfully, Tao interrupted the private meeting with Nicole because, to be honest, she didn't know how to respond. She could just tell the young woman the truth, but not knowing Andy's reasoning, she refrained. Of all people, she knew the precarious balancing act Andy was going through to reestablish a relationship with his daughter.
Although she had a job to do, focusing on the brutal attack with the team was difficult especially with Andy so close. The once seemingly harmless act of him standing beside her suddenly felt like an invasion. She never minded having him there before because even Provenza often stood just as close; literally a Captain with her two Lieutenants flanking her. However, now she realized he saw the act in a much different light. Her only recourse was moving away from him, keeping her distance to insure he stayed out of her personal space. Despite this, he tried to break through by making a joke about Mike, something she might have smiled or chuckled at in the past. All she could do was clamp down on her anger and focus on the job until she was calm enough to talk to him.
Throughout that day, she kept to herself and refrained calling Andrea until the evening before The Nutcracker because she thought it was going to be resolved. Aside for being out of town for a few days on business, the last thing Andrea needed was all the drama that now surrounded Sharon. So rather than talk to anyone, she buried it and focused on work.
Despite her attempt to focus on the job, Sharon couldn't shake the feeling that everyone knew. Her fears of office gossip and rumors were becoming true. Even when she was home with Rusty the night before and he mentioned that trying to date someone at work was tricky, she wondered if he was privy to speculation around the office. And was Rusty aware before she told him that Andy mislead his daughter into thinking they were dating? But before she become paranoid, she brushed this idea away; Rusty's comment was about Nicole's situation. He even asked a question that she herself was wondering about. Why would Andy allow his daughter to think they were dating?
Even though she slept on the problem she was no closer to finding a solution. When the director of the show was being interrogated, Sharon realized how far the assumption had gone. Even Provenza, who normally didn't care about anyone's personal life, was dropping veiled hints and innuendo. The older detective's comment about people misunderstanding a relationship of two people working together hit hard. Her cheeks flamed in embarassment at the confirmation that at least one other person knew what Andy was doing. It wasn't until this point that she felt a true sense of betrayal.
She thought Andy was her friend and trusted him. Throughout her problems with Jack, he was there giving encouragement. He knew how much damage Jack had wreaked on her psyche and was aware of how hard it was for her to recover from the fallout of being with an alcoholic. Being a recovering alcoholic himself, she thought Andy empathized with her pain and understood how fragile her trust was. But apparently this was not the case. Acting like he actually cared about her was nothing but a ruse to get closer to her.
At first Sharon hoped that her trust wasn't misguided. She wanted to believe that Andy would do the right thing. Her hopes were quickly dashed when he was in her office explaining the confusion. She could tell that he wasn't going to correct his daughter's misunderstanding. He even came right out and admitted that even though it was the right thing to do, he didn't want to do it. That alone sent her into a spiraling fog of memories. The reminder of Jack's lies and deceit threatened to overwhelm her. Her ex-husband always built himself up, pretending that he was more than what he really was, especially around new people. To strangers he was charismatic and charming. The stories he told made him seem far more important to people he just met. Even when he lied to Ricky about Rusty, telling their son all the vile things he could about Rusty's tragic past, Sharon was reminded that Jack was an alcoholic. He may not be drinking anymore, but the habits of an alcoholic were entrenched in Jack's psyche and seeped into his conduct. Now, after the few days of having Andy's lies held in front of her, Sharon had to acknowledge that like Jack, Andy was also an alcoholic. Perhaps he was in recovery now, but Sharon suddenly realized that the habits of an alcoholic never leave.
As Sharon sat in her car, eyes closed as she went over the events of the past few days, she felt her heart rate increase. Even with all the things Jack did to her, she had never been so furious in her life, and she knew that this was because she considered Andy a friend. After their marriage unraveled, she didn't have high expectations for Jack. But with Andy, it was different. Not only that, but she didn't understand why Rusty encouraged the ruse.
With all of these thoughts raging through her mind, she left her car and walked over the familiar path to the front door. After using her key to open Andrea's door, she felt the anger boiling deep inside. The familiar beeping of the wall alarm went off, and Sharon went to it, quickly entering the code that reset the exterior alarms. As a D.D.A. Andrea face numerous threats to her life and having an alarm just made sense. It was Andrea who decided that since Sharon spent many nights with her, she should not only have her own key but also the code as well.
"Sharon?" the voice came from the bedroom. "Honey, I thought you were going to The Nutcracker tonight?" Andrea came to her, turning on the lights in her wake. Andrea had a robe on, and Sharon knew that below it was her lover's nude body. Sleeping in the nude was one of Andrea's endearing qualities. The blonde's eyes ran over Sharon's body as if undressing her, a familiar lust entered her gaze. "Wow, you look gorgeous!" the blonde smiled.
"Thank you, and we did go," she dropped her purse on the entry table and walked briskly to the living room. She was so intent in thought that she hadn't even notice Andrea leaning in for kiss.
"Oh, my God. Remember I told you how Andy let his daughter believe we were dating?" Sharon furiously paced the length of the room.
"Yeah," Andrea moved to sit in her favorite chair, watching her lover closely.
"Tonight after dinner Rusty implied that we were dating, too! What got into that boy?" Sharon shook her head and looked down at Andrea.
"I think this calls for wine," the blonde was on her feet and moving to the kitchen, Sharon stalking in her wake. Andrea removed a bottle of zinfandel and poured two glasses, then handed one to Sharon.
"Rusty actually went through a whole list of everything Andy and I have done together! Dinner, movies, a ball game and that charity event!" her voice grew in volume before taking a sip of the pink liquid. "And now, to make matters worse, Nicole thinks that we are dating even when we aren't!" Sharon exclaimed.
"Rusty did that?" it was Andrea's turn to raise a brow.
"I just couldn't believe it. He knows.…" her voice trailed off.
Andrea stepped forward and wrapped an arm around Sharon's waist, gently guiding her from the kitchen. "Come on, lover. Come in and talk to me about it," she spoke softly as they moved into the living room.
"Thank you, Andrea. I just…" Sharon shook her head as she sat wearily on the sofa. Andrea moved next to her, folding her legs under her as she faced her lover.
"Ok, so after Rusty outlined all of the things that you and Andy have done together, Nicole thinks you two are dating?" Andrea asked.
"Yes," Sharon took a sip, her gaze remaining on the pink liquid.
"Did Rusty mention the softball team you played on with Amy? Or the dinners you and Rusty had at Mikes's place? Or even the times you spend with Brenda Leigh?" Andrea asked.
"No, but they weren't part of the discussion," she shook her head as she turned to Andrea.
"So I guess he neglected to mention the nights that I've slept over, the trips the three of us take to the beach, the dinner parties we've gone to at Morales' and his boyfriend's place, or the times when I've made dinner for all of us when you had to work late?" a slight smile crossed the blondes lips.
"No, Rusty left all of that out." Sharon shook her head in confusion and despair. When she saw Andrea's smile, she glared at the woman. "Why are you smiling? This is a mess! Andy's daughter thinks we're dating, and he didn't refute her! What? Does he think if he goes along with it, that he'll successfully back me into a relationship? That I'll suddenly change my mind and decide that it's easier to retroactively start dating him than to convince him and Nicole that we're not dating? Or maybe he even thinks we're dating!
"How many others from the team think this? If FID finds out, no, forget about FID, if Taylor finds out do you know what could happen?" she asked.
"I imagine it's going to be a mess," Andrea answered solemnly.
"A mess, is that all you think it will be? My God, Andrea, the ethics alone! Me dating a subordinate?" she quickly set her wine on the coffee table and jumped from the couch. With head bent she resumed pacing the living room.
"This could open an investigation! Taylor could actually force me into early retirement!" she all but screamed. As her mind whirled over the full ramifications, she continued to wear a path in the carpet. Before she realized a change, Andrea was standing in front of her. Her soft touch lightly fell on her face, stopping Sharon's pacing and forcing her to look up.
"Yes, it could result in all of that…if you were dating Andy," she smiled.
"I'm not dating him," Sharon replied as she reached out to cover Andrea's hand with hers. "I'm with you, Andrea."
"I know that!" Andrea lightly chuckled.
"And even if I were single which I'm not, I would certainly expect a would-be suitor to have the balls to come out and ask me on a date in a proper fashion!"
"You mean like I did?" Andrea's smile twinkled up into her eyes when she asked this.
"Yes, exactly!"
"Why didn't you just tell him you're with me?" Andrea asked curiously.
Sharon's jaw dropped slightly and she searched the blonde's eyes. Finding no hurt there, she shook her head, "I wasn't going to out you without your permission!"
"I'm not exactly in the closet at work, Sharon. I mean, I'm not leading a Gay Pride parade down the hallways, but it's not a big secret either. My goodness, Brenda Leigh offered me those charity tickets to take you out, but I had to be in San Diego that evening. She gave them to you instead because she figured none of the guys in Major Crimes would appreciate the art museum the way you would."
"Oh." Sharon took this information in, "Well, we had never talked about it."
Andrea grinned, "We just did. So next time, feel free to tell Andy that I'm taking care of your every desire quite thoroughly." She wagged her eyebrows and winked. Trailing a finger down Sharon's neck, she purred, "Or I could just leave a hickey here for him to see tomorrow."
"Don't you dare! He'd have Nicole and everyone else believing that he put it there."
"I could write 'Hobbs's' in hickeys across your rear end. But Andy better never see it, so that defeats the purpose."
Sharon huffed out a breath and took in Andrea's joking demeanor. "Why aren't you mad about this? Aren't you at all upset that Andy let his daughter think that we're dating or that Rusty implied that we were?" Sharon asked softly.
Andrea contemplated her words, her head tilted slightly as her eyelids narrowed in thought. With the same beautiful smile that Sharon was accustomed to, the blonde looked directly into her eyes. Her palms gently caressed the brunette's face.
"I'm not mad, honey, because I know there is no truth to it. I'm the one you come to, I'm the one who holds you at night. And most of all, and this is very important," Andrea's brows slightly arch for emphasis, "I'm the one who's tasted you and heard you cry out in pleasure. It's my name you're calling for, not Andy's."
Sharon felt the familiar flutter in her stomach. It was something she hadn't felt in a long time, and it was awakened by the presence of Andrea. Like a school girl crush, the flutters in her stomach replaced the anxiety that felt overwhelming just a few seconds ago. After releasing a sigh, Sharon closed her eyes and leaned in for a kiss. Once their lips touched, that invisible connection lingering in the back of her psyche reignited. The silky texture of Andrea's tongue meeting her own caused an all together different type of stirring, and it was delicious.
"Come on, come to bed. I've missed you," was all Andrea had to say.
"What am I going to do about.…"
"Shush, we'll worry about that tomorrow. For now, I've been away for a few days, and I'm missing you. So come with me, my love, and let me reclaim what is rightfully mine," Andrea purred.
"You only have to reclaim something if you've lost it. And I can assure you, you have always had my heart. You have all of me," Sharon's voice took on a deep groan that morphed into a purr.
Sharon hadn't said anything to Rusty, nor did she question his motives. Thankfully he was the one who brought it up in the morning when she returned home from Andrea's. Already dressed and sitting at the table with his lap top open, he ate a bowl of cereal.
"Hey Sharon, morning," he glanced at her, noticing that she wore a pair of sweat pants and baggy teeshirt from Andrea's closet. On her feet she wore uggs similar to her own. The clothes from the night before were stuffed in her purse awaiting delivery to the dry cleaners.
"Morning, honey," she smiled as she left a single kiss on the crown of his head before moving to the coffee maker.
"Hey Sharon, are you mad because I mentioned all the times you went out with Andy?" his voice was soft, his eyes scrutinized her closely.
"I am a bit curious as to why you would mention that because, if you remember, at some of the events we were with other people," she joined him at the kitchen table, slowly sipping her cup of coffee.
"Well yeah, but, it's not like I could say anything about you and Andrea. I mean, won't you get in trouble for that? Isn't there a 'Don't ask, don't tell' rule?" his brows furrowed slightly.
"Rusty, that was a rule for the military. It's not a rule anymore. Gays are able to serve openly now, and they can even get married in our state. There isn't any rule about this at all," she couldn't help but smile as she covered his hand with hers. "Is that why you let Nicole think that Andy and I were dating?"
"Well, yeah," he looked surprised. "I mean, like, if there isn't a rule against you and Andrea dating, then why haven't you told anyone?"
Sharon saw the sincerity in his eyes and for the first time she remembered the conversation they once had. He was so afraid of coming out to the team that he wanted her to do it for him. Now, following his line of reasoning, she understood that her son was trying to protect her.
"You know Rusty, that is a very good question! Andrea even asked the same thing last night." she smiled. "I am going to have to remedy this oversight," she stated firmly.
For a few days Sharon wondered exactly how she was going to remedy the situation. When Amy mentioned that the team wanted a holiday pot luck before the actual holiday, an idea took form. Like Morales, the team tended to celebrate early together knowing that the holidays statistically brought about higher number of homicides. The gathering would be the appropriate place to finally rectify whatever misconceptions existed.
With the murder room decorated in holiday lights and cut out figures, the festive air filled the team. Sharon made certain to invite Nicole to the event. Even though she was still in the midst of reports and phone calls tying up loose cases, she kept her eyes on the hallway.
"Ma'am, we're all set up," Amy ducked her head in Sharon's office. With a raised finger, Sharon asked for one minute as she finished up her call with the accounting department.
Inside the murder room, some tables from the conference rooms were pushed together. Tao's wife, Cooper, and Julio layed out the homemade treats on the table top while others set out plates, utensils and napkins. Rusty walked in quickly holding a covered casserole dish.
"Ahhhh, the Captain's specialty!" Tao exclaimed as Rusty put the dish alongside the others.
"Yeah, she made it last night and asked me to warm it up at home before bringing it in," Rusty smiled. When he saw Nicole sitting at her father's desk, he gave a slight wave before going to find an empty chair.
Sharon smiled at Rusty, her brows rose in a silent question. He looked at the entranceway and only shrugged his shoulders. He knew what her plans were and like an audience member, he wanted to be in the center of it. Even though Sharon was not there when he told the team about himself, for some reason he wanted to be here to share the event. As she wrapped up the call, she noticed a familiar pair of blue eyes twinkling as she walked briskly toward the murder room.
As soon as Andrea stepped into the room the group turned to her. An obvious look of confusion crossed their faces. It was Provenza who stood up from his chair and moved to the D.D.A.
"Hobbs, what are you doing here? We finished the case yesterday. There are no perps to offer deals to," Provenza asked.
"I invited her," Sharon stepped from her office.
"Oh. Well, the more the merrier!" the older detective smiled as he nodded to the blonde.
"Thank you!" Andrea smiled at Provenza before turning her full attention to Sharon.
"I'm so glad you could join us!" Sharon walked intently to her lover, her steps light as she moved toward Andrea.
She hadn't told Andrea what her plans were instead she wanted to surprise her. Although a private person at work, Andrea never shied away from who she was, nor would she ever deny her orientation if asked by a colleague. Despite this and the jokes she made the other night, the blonde would never push Sharon into anything she wasn't completely comfortable with. Now, in front of the people who mattered the most to her, Sharon no longer wanted to be silent about her relationship with Andrea.
By the look on her face, Andrea was surprised the moment Sharon stood before her and leaned in for a kiss. In that single moment they were surrounded by stunned silence. As their lips touched, Sharon threaded her fingers into her lover's hair, making sure no one could mistake the kiss as one between friends. She felt Andrea's arms wrap around her waist, and she instinctively pulled her lover into a close embrace. The room and people around them disappeared as their kiss deepened yet stayed appropriate. Only when they pulled apart did she hear an all too familiar groan from her lover as Andrea licked her lips.
"Ahh, looks like I'm not the only one donning my gay apparel!" Morales' voice broke through the spell.
"What?" Provenza's mouth hung open as he watched the two women.
Sharon smiled at him as she tilted her head.
"Yes, Andrea is the one I'm dating," she looked at Nicole with an apologetic expression. "I'm so sorry, Nicole."
"Well, after the last evening, I was beginning to think it was too good to be true," she cast her father a disgusted look before turning to Rusty. "And you, you told me they always go out!"
"They do, to dinner, the movies, concerts, and baseball games," he said, then added, "but there are usually more than the two of them."
"And Nicole, honey, it's always 'Dutch treat'. I've never actually paid for any of the dates," he sighed. "I guess it was just wishful thinking on my part."
Andrea was the one who stepped toward him, a hint of a smile on her lips. "It's alright, Andy. I would think you were crazy if you didn't want to date my girlfriend," Andrea lightly patted his shoulder. She saw Andy blush when Provenza snorted at the words.
"Nicole, don't be too upset. I'm told by a very wise woman who is a successful parent herself," she glanced over at Sharon, "that sometimes parents will do some pretty crazy things to gain their children's approval."
Nicole looked from Sharon, to Andrea, and then at her father. "Well, I guess my dad must really love me to carry on this ruse! Come here, Dad," Nicole pulled her father into a hug. After a brief embrace, he moved toward Sharon.
"The thing I gotta ask is, who knew about you and Andrea?" Andy turned from Sharon to the rest of the team.
"I knew," Rusty raised his hand. His other hand held his phone up as he had been recording the whole revelation.
"I suspected," Buzz added.
"Of course I did. I've had the love birds over for dinner, they could barely keep their hands off of each other. Lusty lesbians!" Morales winked as he set his bottles of sparkling water on the table.
"Me too," Tao raised his hand.
"I knew, too," Amy raised her hand.
Andy gazed at the team with disbelieving eyes. His head shaking at the thought that he was clueless to the relationship.
Cooper raised his hand, "I didn't know. I guess Amy doesn't tell me everything."
"I didn't know, but I sure as heck knew the Captain wasn't dating you!" Provenza groused. Andy cast his partner a sharp gaze before looking at Buzz.
"How did you know, and why didn't you say anything?" Andy's hands rested on his hips as he waited for an answer.
"I was in band," Buzz pipped up. When they all looked at him, he shrugged his shoulders, "I have good peripheral vision. I saw them holding hands in the media room when it was just the three of us."
Sharon blushed, and Andrea murmed to her, "Good thing that's all we did."
"The Captain's been over for dinner with my family. The way she talks about Andrea, we knew," Tao smiled as he shrugged his shoulders.
"Ach, only because I told you they were a couple and to invite Andrea to dinner, too. Which you haven't done yet," Tao's wife lightly tapped his arm. She looked at the rest of the group, "I always have to tell him when our kids are in love with someone new, too."
"Amy?" Andy looked at the newest addition to their team.
"She's on my softball team. No way can she play the way she does and not be a…." her words were cut short when she caught the Captain's raised brows.
"Wait a minute, does that mean that you're also…?" Julio pointed directly at Amy.
"What? I don't use labels and in case you haven't noticed, I'm with Cooper. I'd never cheat on him," Amy stated firmly. Her eyes took on a far away look, "Unless Halle Berry wanted me, then I'd drop him so fast his head would snap off! I would definitely tap Halle Berry!" She saw her boyfriend nod in confirmation.
"Oh yeah, me too," Andrea's voice grew wistful.
Sharon's head snapped toward her lover, her brows arched upward as she gave her a look of surprise.
"What? Just for a night! Are you going to seriously tell me that you wouldn't jump at a chance to be with Halle Berry?" Andrea's brows rose at the question.
Sharon thought about it, her mind calling up the image of the woman that they watched together in movies. With a slight smile, she nodded, "Yeah, I would."
The room seemed instantly quiet before the crew broke out into laughter.
"Captain, there isn't a human alive who wouldn't want to tap that beauty!" Julio called as he moved to get a plate.
"That's what I'm saying!" Cooper pointed at Julio.
"Not me," Tao said. When they looked at him, he shrugged his shoulders. "My wife is all I need."
The Asian woman smiled, "Good! That will be less competition when Halle shows up at the door for me."
Mike's jaw hit the floor as the rest of the room erupted into raucous laughter.